Growth problems and the need for emergency imports of food, which became deficit, made Russia become the net importer of food for the first time in 6 years.
In the first half of 2025 to the Russian Federation Food products and agricultural raw materials worth $ 20.6 billion were imported. [ok. 75 mld zł]and $ 17.8 billion was exported. [ok. 65 mld zł] According to the statistics of the Federal Customs Service.
Food imports increased by 14.6 percent. year on year, i.e. by $ 2.6 billion. [ok. 95 mld] – after butter deficiency and then potatoes. Russia began to import butter from the United Arab Emirates, India and Argentina. from China and Mongolia.
Food exports, according to the Federal Customs Service, fell by 14.6 percent. year on year, i.e. by $ 3.1 billion. [ok. 11 mld zł]after how Farmers lost almost one -fifth of their cereal collections And they limited exports rapidly. According to the Ministry of Agriculture in the 2024/25 season, Russia sold 53 million tons of grain abroad, including 44 million tons of wheat. It is by 22 percent and 20 percent less than a year ago.
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Russia became the net exporter of food products (exports exceeded imports) in 2020 and She maintained this status even after the war in Ukraine. Thus, in 2024, food exports amounted to $ 42.6 billion, and import $ 37.7 billion. A year earlier, the difference was even higher: $ 43.1 billion. exports and $ 35.1 billion import.
The current year is unlikely to bring relief to farmers who are in the face of a rapid increase in loan interest rates, extraordinary strengthening of the column and The worst drought for decades. It has already led to the loss of three-quarters of cherries and cherries in the Krasnodar country and, in accordance with the forecast of SOVECON, in southern regions heralds the lowest crops of cereals in the last 11-12 years.
The export of Russian wheat fell by 37 percent. Year on year during July-August, according to the calculations of the Rusagrotrans analytical center. Export remains unprofitable Due to the high costs of ship insurance, the current duties system and low prices on global markets, the source on the agricultural market told the newspaper.
In addition, low demand from the main buyers – In this Egypt, who imports one -fifth of Russian wheat – adversely affects the situation, says Andrey Sizow, general director of SOVECON.
